Donald Trump's Attorney Scoffs At Assumptions The Former President Will Be Put In Handcuffs
With Donald Trump's indictment for allegedly paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels said and done, and his arraignment in Manhattan on the horizon, many are left wondering how the Byzantine plot will unfold. Will police scuttle Trump away into the embrace of the court? Will Trump's supporters, against whom barricades have been erected (per The Guardian), turn violent and start chucking red hats at authorities? Will Trump's wrists get shackled by handcuffs as if he was a common, non-presidential hush-money supplier? According to Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, the answer to the last question is a resounding scoff.
Tacopina appeared on "Good Morning, America" on March 31 to give his perspective on how the arraignment will play out, and provide some insight into Trump's feelings about it, as ABC News explains. To the latter, Tacopina said that Trump was "shocked" about the indictment, even though he predicted his own arrest based on a leak from three weeks prior. To the former, Tacopina downplayed the sensationalism of Trump's forthcoming appearance in court.
When asked what the arraignment would look like, Tacopina said, "Your guess is as good as mine," as we can see in a five-minute interview clip watchable on Twitter. When asked if the former president would be handcuffed, get a mug shot taken, or do a "perp walk," Tacopina said, "Look, I'm sure they'll try to get every ounce of publicity they can from this thing," and, "The president will not be put in handcuffs."
A media circus in the making
In his interview with "Good Morning, America" on Twitter, Joe Tacopina went into a bit of detail about why he doesn't think the president will get manacled along the way to his lower Manhattan courthouse arraignment on April 4. The proceedings have no historical precedent, he explains, so it's impossible to know for sure what will happen aside from what happens at a typical arraignment: seeing a judge, making a plea, filing motions, and so forth. However, because Donald Trump still receives protection from a Secret Service detail — like any former president — Tacopina believes that it's unlikely that handcuffs would make their way into the mix. It's unclear exactly how the Secret Service will be involved — where they'll stand in relationship to Trump, and how close, in what locations they're allowed to be present, etc. — but they'll play a role, regardless.
Tacopina also commented on how messy the entire affair will likely appear, especially when taking police barricades into account, the New York Police Department themselves, onlookers, the press, and other involved parties like the New York State Court Officers Association and its president. To all this Tacopina said, "I'm sure they'll try to make sure they get some joy out of this by parading him," and also oppositely, "I don't think they're going to allow this to become a circus, as much as humanly possible." In both statements, it's unclear who "they" are supposed to be.